Safety closure

ABSTRACT

The invention contemplates selectively openable closure means that is tamper-proof, in the sense that a correct sequence of two deliberate and independent movements of lockable closure elements is necessary in order to achieve access to the contents of the bottle or the like which is protected by the closure. The specific construction that is described involves a necked bottled member and a closure-cap member. The latter has axial and angular bayonet-type engagement with the neck. A resilient skirt carried by one of the members is in resilient axially interfering relation with the other member, to normally deny access to the bottle merely by attempted unthreading or other purely rotary actuation of the cap. The cap must be axially shifted to deform the skirt in order to free the parts for limited angular motion, before freeing the cap for axial removal from the neck.

United States Patent Landen [54] SAFETY CLOSURE [72] Inventor: William James Landen, Cheshire, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Eyelet Specialty Company, Wallingford,

Conn.

(22] Filed: May 25, 1970 [21} Appl. No.: 40,947

[ 51 May 2, 1972 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Ar!orney--Sandoe, Hopgood and Calimafde [57] ABSTRACT The invention contemplates selectively openable closure means that is tamper-proof, in the sense that a correct sequence of two deliberate and independent movements of lockable closure elements is necessary in order to achieve access to the contents of the bottle or the like which is protected by the closure.

The specific construction that is described involves a necked bottled member and a closure-cap member, The latter has axial and angular bayonet-type engagement with the neck A resilient skirt carried by one of the members is in resilient axially interfering relation with the other member, to normally deny access to the bottle merely by attempted unthreading or other purely rotary actuation of the cap. The cap must be axially shifted to deform the skirt in order to free the parts for limited angular motion, before freeing the cap for axial removal from the neck.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 l jENTgR M444 44/5; 4ND! sxrsrv crosum-z This invention relates to tamper-proof selectively openable closure devices, as for closure of bottles containing solid matter such as pills which may be injurious when in unauthorized hands.

With recent growth in the use of drugs, pills, and the like, each with its specific prescribed purpose for a particular member of a household, there has been a corresponding increase in the chances for unauthorized access, particularly access by small children. And it has become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to supervise children enough to assure against their access to materials that can be harmful to them.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a tamper-proof feature in containers for materials of the character indicated.

A specific object is to achieve the above-stated object with a construction in which a correct sequence of independent motions of lockable closure parts is a pre-requisite for access to the contents of the container.

Another object is to achieve the foregoing objects with a simple construction, involving, for the case of molded-plastic constructions, the addition of no parts, beyond the container and its closure.

A specific object is to provide a container and its closure cap with integral formations inherently achieving tamperproof closure of the container.

A further object is to achieve the stated objects with a construction which lends itself to full automation, namely, to automated filling, to automated closure, and to automated assembly with the tamper-proof feature.

It is a general object to provide a tamper-proof closure which is'basically inexpensive and reliable and which incorporates automatic reset of the tamper-proof feature, as a necessary consequence of applying the closure and driving it to closed position on the container.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a container to which closure means of the invention has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the two parts of the construction of FIG. 1, shown separated when the container is open;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagram representing a flattened view of coacting formations between the parts of FIG. 1, developed for the full circumferential extent;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view in the plane 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 and 5A are diagrams similar to FIG. 3 to illustrate modifications;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified closure-cap member;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a container and closure representing a further modification, part of the closure being broken and in section to reveal internal detail;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but applicable to assembly of the parts ofFlG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 to show further modification.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates selectively openable closure means that is tamper-proof in the sense that a correct sequence of two deliberate and independent movements of lockable closure elements is necessary in order to achieve access to the contents of the container. Specifically, the construction involves a necked bottle member and a closure-cap member. The latter has axial and angular bayonettype engagement with the neck. A resilient skirt carried by one of the members is in resilient axially interfering relation with the other member, to normally deny access to the bottle merely by attempted unthreading or other purely rotary actuation of the cap. The cap must be axially shifted to deform the skirt in order to free the parts for limited angular motion, before freeing the cap for axial removal from the neck.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the invention is shown in application to a two-piece construction involving merely a container or bottle member 10 and a closure-cap member 11, both of which may be of molded plastic; for example, the bottle member 10 may be blow-molded polyethylene or the like, and the cap member 11 may be in jection-molded, of polypropylene. The bottle 10 has a reduced neck 12 which is generally cylindrical and which projects axially to its open end. The closure cap 11 has a generally cylindrical bore 13 at its closed end 14, and the generally cylindrical regions 12-13 overlap in the container-closed condition. Coacting bayonet-locking formations at these regions 12-13 establish the locked (closed) condition, in cooperation with a resilient axially deformable part of one member, reacting against a part of the other member.

In the form shown, the resilient part is a skirt 15, flaring outwardly and downwardly, at the open end of the closure-cap 'member 11. Skirt 15 is integrally formed with the cap 11 and is relatively thin; its range of relatively soft axial flexure may be enhanced by plural angularly spaced radial slits, in which case the skirt 15 comprises plural angularly spaced finger elements. In the normal closed position shown in FIG. I, the skirt 15 is positioned adjacent the expanding section 16 of the bottle 10, for a pleasing appearance. This expanding section defines a shoulder against which skirt 15 is axially compressed in the process of setting the closure, and in the process of opening the same.

For ease of molding, the simpler bayonet-lock formations are preferably made in the bore 13 of the cap, and the more complex formations characterize the outer cylindrical periphery of the neck 12. As shown, four spaced points of cap retention are achieved via like equally spaced inward projections 17 integrally molded in the bore 13. These four projections are shown to have latching-type engagement with hookshaped bayonet-lock fen-nations 18-19, projecting radially outwardly as rib or ridge sections. Each of the formations 18-19 includes an arcuate circumferential ridge 20, with an axially downwardly extending ridge portion 21 at one end, thus defining a downwardly open recess, in which a projection 17 is receivable, for the case of each of the formations 18-19. One of the formations (e.g., 18) further includes a second axially downwardly extending ridge portion or stop 22, which in FIG. 2 is shown extending to the cylindrical base 23 of the neck 12. In FIG. 3, two of the .l-shaped formations 18 are seen to be interlaced with two of the simpler formations 19; the effective space W' between adjacent formations 18-19 exceeds or clears the effective width W of each projection 17, and the effective space W between the ridge portions 21-22 of any given formation 18 likewise clears the effective width of each projection 17. To complete the structural description, a ramp or cam surface 24 slopes angularly and axially downwardly at the lower end of the ridge portions 21.

In use, an open container 10 is closed by placing the bore 13 of cap 11 into axial overlap with the neck 12. This can proceed all the way, to the point of contact of skirt 15 against shoulder 16, once the projections 17 have been aligned with the spaces between formations 18-19; such alignments are shown at 25 in FIG. 3, and the designation 17' in FIG. 3 identifies the axial placement of the projections 17 when skirt 15 contacts shoulder 16. From this relation, the cap 11 is twisted clockwise with respect to bottle 10, causing projections 17 to engage and ride down" over the cams 24, against the resilient compressional action of skirt 15. Upon passage of cams 24, the resilient action urges cap 11 upwardly, with a light snapaction, locating projections 17 in their respective recesses. The ridge portions 22 interfere with further cap rotation in the clockwise direction, and the ridges 21 interfere with purely counterclockwise cap rotation. A deliberate axial compression of skirt 15 (by pushing down the cap 11) must first be accomplished, before the cap can be twisted counterclockwise, in which case the ridge portions 22 again serve an angular-stop function, assuring alignment with the axial paths 25. The cap 1 l is then freely axially separable.

FIGS. and 5A illustrate modified bayonet-locking arrangements, as integral moldings with the bottle neck. In FIG. 5, plural T-shaped formations 26 are spaced at intervals W about the circumference of the neck 12, and there is a corresponding plurality of the projections 17. Each T formation comprises an elongated central leg or ridge portion 27, contiguous to an arcuate circumferential ridge portion 28, which extends symmetrically in both directions angularly away from the portion 27. The outer lateral ends of ridge portion 28 terminate at short contiguous axially downward ridge portions 29, each of which is preferably characterized by a sloping cam end 30; each of the cam ends 30 on a given formation 26 slopes downwardly in the angular direction of the lower end of the central leg 27, and the space W" separates the leg or ridge portion 27 from each of the adjacent axial ridge portions 29. In use, the cap ll. is applied in the manner previously described, after achieving angular registry of projections 17 with the spaces W between formations 26. A subsequent clockwise twist of cap 11 will cause projections 17 to snap into the positions shown at dashed-line outlines 17"; in this event, cap compression plus counterclockwise rotation are needed to achieve cap removal. On the other hand, the same locking action could have been achieved by initial counterclockwise rotation of cap 11, causing projections 17 to snap into the cross-hatched positions shown; in this event, cap compression plus clockwise rotation are needed to achieve cap removal.

In FIG. 5A, the plural bayonet formations 31 are equally spaced at distances W about the bottle neck, for snap-lock retention of the projections 17 in recesses of width W". These recesses are defined between end ridge portions 32, having oppositely sloped end earns 30', as previously described. The only difference in action in FIG. 5A is that locking is achievable in either direction of cap rotation; and unlocking is also achievable in either direction of cap rotation, once the cap has been sufficiently pressed down, against resilient-skirt reaction.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified construction for the cap 33 which may dimensionally resemble the cap 1 1, except that the skirt 34 thereof is circumferentially continuous. Skirt 34 is thus in the nature of a Belleville spring or washer, integral with cap 33. The axially resilient action of skirt 34 will of course depend upon thickness, radial extent, and particular plastic material involved, as well as upon the degree of radial yieldability of that part of cap 33 to which skirt 34 is rooted. Such radial yieldability is desired and may be achieved by designing a sufficiently thin section (localized or continuous) into the wall section at skirt juncture to the cap; in the form shown, local yieldability for the purpose is provided by plural spaced longitudinal slits 35 in this region. Container closure and opening are otherwise as described for FIGS. 3, 5 and 5A.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification in which the resilient skirt 36 is integrally formed with the container or bottle 37, rather than with the closure cap 38, and bottle 37 may be generally cylindrical at substantially the diameter of its neck 39 (solid lines) or it may be of bulged, larger contour (phantom outline). The skirt 36 is shown as essentially a radially extending annulus, and the mouth or open end of the cap 38 is proportioned for contact with skirt 36 essentially only at its radially outer limit. As shown, cap 11 is enlarged at its mouth, and is provided with a limited counterbore 40 in which the skirt is received, preferably in unstressed condition when the container is closed (locked), as depicted in FIG. 8. The bayonet-lock formations 18-19 and 17 may be as previously described. To the user, operation appears as described for FIGS. 1 to 4, the only difference being that the axial spring (skirt 36) is formed with the bottle rather than with the cap.

FIG. 9 illustrates application of the invention to a glass-bottle 45 having a reduced cylindrical neck 46, with molded locking formations, suggested at 47, for bayonet-type engagement with cooperating formations 17 in the bore of a closure cap, which may be the same as described at 38 in FIGS. 7 and 8. It is not feasible to form a resilient skirt or the like from the material of bottle 45, and so a separate resilient ring 48 is first assembled to the bottle neck, being shown with an axial flange 49 retained between a detent 50 and a step or shoulder 51 at the base of the neck 46. The ring 48 may be of stamped resilient metal, such as spring steel, or of molded plastic, and bottle closure and opening actions are otherwise as previously described.

The described invention will be seen to achieve the stated objects with basically simple structure which, in the case of molded-plastic parts, need involve no more than the formation of the two customary parts, namely the container and its closure cap; in other words, the inventive features reside in the particular formation of such parts, and bottle shape is of no particular consequence, as long as the spring-reference and bayonet-locking actions are available. The incremental cost over conventional constructions is thus primarily in the cost of the molds, and not in the materials, or in the number of parts to be handled; such costs are quickly amortized, for largescale use. Thus, for negligible additional cost, the tamperproof or safety feature is available.

While the invention has been described in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. Tamper-proof selectively openable closure means, comprising a body member including a neck with an axial endopening to be selectively opened and closed, and a singlepiece unitary molded-plastic closure-cap member including a body having a bore slidably receiving the inserted open end of said neck, interengaging radially extending bayonet-lock formations on said bore and neck when in closed position, said formations including an axially directed recessed wall locking said members against relative rotation and against axially opening separation for a first relative axial and angular relation of said members and freeing said members for at least limited angular relative rotation in an incrementally greater axially overlapped second relation of said members, and means including an axially resilient circumfcrentially extending radially outward skirt carried by said body member in resilient axially preloaded engagement with said cap member when said members are in said second relation, the direction of such preload being such as to axially urge said members away from said second relation and in the direction toward said first relation; whereby, to free said members for said limited angular relative rotation said members must first be displaced against the resilient action of said skirt.

2. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said skirt is a radially outward integral circumferentially continuous flange on a central hub, said body member and hub including interengaging means retaining assembly of said skirt to said body member.

3. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said skirt is annular and is separate from said body member, and in which said body member and skirt include interengaging means retaining assembly of said skirt to said body member.

4. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said lock formations include a radially inward projection formed integrally with said cap member in the bore thereof.

5. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said lock formations include radially outwardly projecting rib means formed integrally with said body member at the neck thereof.

'6. Closure means according to claim 5, in which said rib means is generally hook-shaped and comprises an axially extending portion contiguous to an angularly extending portion, thereby defining a local step-down recessed region, said region facing away from the open end of said neck.

7. Closure means according to claim 6, in which said rib means includes a second axially extending portion angularly spaced from said first axially extending portion.

cam surface at its axial end remote from said angularly extending portion.

locations about said neck.

10. Closure means according to claim 9, in which said lock formations include plural integral radially inward projections in the bore of said cap member, in plurality and at angular 9. Closure means according to claim 6, in which said hook- 5 spacings Yre5p0nding those Ofsaid rib meansshaped rib means is provided in plurality, at angularly spaced I i i 

1. Tamper-proof selectively openable closure means, comprising a body member including a neck with an axial end-opening to be selectively opened and closed, and a single-piece unitary moldedplastic closure-cap member including a body having a bore slidably receiving the inserted open end of said neck, interengaging radially extending bayonet-lock formations on said bore and neck when in closed position, said formations including an axially directed recessed wall locking said Members against relative rotation and against axially opening separation for a first relative axial and angular relation of said members and freeing said members for at least limited angular relative rotation in an incrementally greater axially overlapped second relation of said members, and means including an axially resilient circumferentially extending radially outward skirt carried by said body member in resilient axially preloaded engagement with said cap member when said members are in said second relation, the direction of such preload being such as to axially urge said members away from said second relation and in the direction toward said first relation; whereby, to free said members for said limited angular relative rotation said members must first be displaced against the resilient action of said skirt.
 2. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said skirt is a radially outward integral circumferentially continuous flange on a central hub, said body member and hub including interengaging means retaining assembly of said skirt to said body member.
 3. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said skirt is annular and is separate from said body member, and in which said body member and skirt include interengaging means retaining assembly of said skirt to said body member.
 4. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said lock formations include a radially inward projection formed integrally with said cap member in the bore thereof.
 5. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said lock formations include radially outwardly projecting rib means formed integrally with said body member at the neck thereof.
 6. Closure means according to claim 5, in which said rib means is generally hook-shaped and comprises an axially extending portion contiguous to an angularly extending portion, thereby defining a local step-down recessed region, said region facing away from the open end of said neck.
 7. Closure means according to claim 6, in which said rib means includes a second axially extending portion angularly spaced from said first axially extending portion.
 8. Closure means according to claim 6, in which said axially extending portion includes an axially and angularly extending cam surface at its axial end remote from said angularly extending portion.
 9. Closure means according to claim 6, in which said hook-shaped rib means is provided in plurality, at angularly spaced locations about said neck.
 10. Closure means according to claim 9, in which said lock formations include plural integral radially inward projections in the bore of said cap member, in plurality and at angular spacings corresponding to those of said rib means. 